Coolie lines and all drains were regularly cleansed with disinfectant fluids throughout the year.
Camps are all supplied with Sanitary Dust Bins and Refuse has been burnt daily.
Pools of water which afforded harbour for mosquitoes and which for one reason or another could not be drained, have been regularly treated with kerosine oil.
The general health of the Railway employees has shown a steady improvement; there was a decrease in the number of entries from Malarial Fevers and Dysentry in spite of the fact that a much greater proportion of the sick men came forward for Western treatment than formerly.
There was an increase under the heading of "Injuries" but the cases were for most part, slight—very few being serious enough to necessitate hospital treatment.
Beri Beri still causes a fair amount of sickness and several deaths have occurred from this cause, some with remarkable rapidity.
In November four coolies died at Kowloon Chai on four successive days, three of the deaths taking place in the same room.
The coolies had apparently been in fairly good health, at any rate they had been working as usual when they suddenly developed symptoms of acute Beri Beri and died shortly afterwards. Post mortem examination confirmed the diagnoses. The buildings in which these deaths occurred were promptly disinfected and closed, since when there have been no more deaths from Beri Beri at Kowloon Chai.
The Camps at No. 5 Tunnel, Taipo, have shown distinct improvement since drainage and other prophylactic measures, which were made possible by the appointment of an extra Assistant Medical Officer at the end of last year, could be carried out with some degree of thoroughness.
Until the headings of Beacon Hill Tunnel met, allowing a free current of air through, there was considerable trouble caused by the irritating vapours given off from the gelatine used for blasting purposes. The vapours given off from a well and thoroughly detonated charge do not appear to do much damage but if for any reason part of the gelatine is lighted and burns slowly before detonation takes place, the fumes given off from the slowly burning part of the charge are exceedingly dangerous causing stupefaction very quickly and death is liable to result owing to fixed chemical compounds being formed in the blood, thus destroying its oxygen-carrying property.
On June 10th, a gang of coolies had to come through dense fumes on their way out of the Tunnel at Shatin. They all complained of feeling sick and dizzy and three of them died very shortly afterwards; the rest had completely recovered by the following morning.
The total number of cases seen at the three Dispensaries was 2,192 against 2,064 in 1908 and 3,667 in 1907. Of these the following were the principal causes:—
9
Coolie lines and all drains were regularly cleansed with dis- infectant fluids throughout the year.
Camps are all supplied with Sanitary Dust Bins and Refuse has been burnt daily.
Pools of water which afforded harbour for mosquitoes and which for one reason or another could not be drained, have been regularly treated with kerosine oil.
The general health of the Railway employees has shown a steady improvement; there was a decrease in the number of entries from Malarial Fevers and Dysentry in spite of the fact that a much greater proportion of the sick men came forward for Western treat- ment than formerly.
There was an increase under the heading of "Injuries" but the cases were for most part, slight-very few being serious enough to necessitate hospital treatment.
Beri Beri still causes a fair amount of sickness and several deaths have occurred from this cause, some with remarkable rapidity.
In November four coolies died at Kowloon Chai on four succes- sive days, three of the deaths taking place in the same room.
The coolies had apparently been in fairly good health, at any rate they had been working as usual when they suddenly developed symptoms of acute Beri Beri and died shortly afterwards. Post mortem examination confirmed the diagnoses. The buildings in which these deaths occurred were promptly disinfected and closed, since when there have been no more deaths from Beri Beri at Kow- loon Chai.
The Camps at No. 5 Tunnel, Taipo, have shown distinct improvement since drainage and other prophylactic measures, which were made possible by the appointment of an extra Assistant Medical Officer at the end of last year, could be carried out with some degree of thoroughness.
Until the headings of Beacon Hill Tunnel met, allowing a free current of air through, there was considerable trouble caused by the irritating vapours given off from the gelatine used for blasting purposes. The vapours given off from a well and thoroughly detona- ted charge do not appear to do much damage but if for any reason part of the gelatine is lighted and burns slowly before detonation takes place, the fumes given off from the slowly burning part of the charge are exceedingly dangerous causing stupefaction very quickly and death is liable to result owing to fixed chemical compounds being formed in the blood, thus destroying its oxygen- carrying property.
On June 10th, a gang of coolies had to come through dense fumes on their way out of the Tunnel at Shatin. They all complained of feeling sick and dizzy and three of them died very shortly afterwards; the rest had completely recovered by the following morning.
The total number of cases seen at the three Dispensaries was 2,192 against 2,064 in 1908 and 3,667 in 1907. Of these the following were the principal causes:—
7
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